RYUTA SUZUKI 

Creative Inspiration

In his book "Weak Connections", philosopher Hiroki Azuma elaborates on the importance of "travel" as a way of living in the symbolized modern society. In modern society, everything is processed as information and symbols, and our perspectives can easily become narrow. In this environment, Azuma argues that encountering unfamiliar landscapes through the "tourist's perspective" and stepping outside of everyday life is key to reclaiming freedom of thought.

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In this sense, Ryuta Suzuki’s art embodies the "sensibility of a tourist." Suzuki has spent about 20 years creating in four cities: Tokyo, London, Beijing, and Suzhou. He has skillfully absorbed the daily life and cultures of different places, elevating them through the use of materials, techniques, themes, and colors.

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Recurring themes in his works, such as cats and flowers, are common everyday sights across the world. However, his printmaking techniques give his works a unique quality. While the vibrant use of color is popular, it is fundamentally overshadowed by a conceptual atmosphere. Perhaps this is a result of his exposure to modern British art. In terms of combining techniques such as silk-screen printing and woodblock printing, Suzuki's work belongs to the realm of modern printmaking, yet the compositions align closely with traditional Japanese ukiyo-e aesthetics. The works that traverse boundaries both internal and external are a manifestation of Suzuki’s curiosity about daily life, truly reflecting a tourist-like approach in his creations.